The temperature of the hot zone created by impact of a high power density electron beam (e-beam) needs to be monitored for reasons concerning process evaluation and safety. In high throughput e-beam evaporators, direct line of sight viewing of the hot zone using an optical pyrometer on a continuous basis is ruled out due to opacity introduced by rapid coating of the vacuum windows within a few seconds. An alternative that permits continuous visual monitoring relies on a periscopic arrangement that makes use of process generated thin film mirror formed by deposition of evaporating metal atoms. This paper discusses the additional error introduced by the thin film mirror during this type of monitoring arrangement for the case when a two-color pyrometer is used as temperature sensor. The dominant factors, namely temperature, pressure and reactivity of metal being evaporated, which affect the measured temperature are found and their effects are confirmed through our experimental data. It is shown that due to dynamically changing spectral reflectivity of the thin film mirror, the additional error in measured temperature could be in the range of ∼0–35% of the value recorded by direct viewing method depending upon the above parameters. Finally, as an alternative, we propose a novel method and show through calculations that this method avoids errors experienced in the periscopic method and yet allows extended continuous monitoring time.